When village manager Di Burgess won a chef-catered dinner in a raffle she invited her residents

Village managers are a special breed and it is great to celebrate their generosity and affection of their residents.

Di Burgess, who has been village manager at Wesley Mission’s John Wesley Gardens in Geeberg, Brisbane, for the past 13 months after being Manager of Cooper House for three years, won a chef-catered dinner in a raffle to raise funds for Wesley Mission Queensland’s Eden Fun and Lifestyle Activity programmes.

The intention of the prize was to have a home dinner party, but Di chose instead to share her winnings with eight lucky residents and a staff member in the formal dining room at the aged care home.

Personalised invitations were hand-delivered to the selected residents and a staff member invited with a request that they wear their finest threads.

The three-course meal with matching wines was made even more special as it was cooked by Operations Manager Brian Wilson, who is also a chef.